William Lumsden Sr (1765 - 1823)

Born 7 Nov 1765 in Louisa County, Colony of Virginia

Husband of Ann Young (Cosby) Lumsden — married 28 Jan 1802 in Louisa County, Virginia, United States

Descendants

Died 11 Oct 1823 at age 57 in Todd County, Kentucky, United States

Biography

William Lumsden born November 7, 1765, was the fifth Child born to the Senior George Lumsden and unknown wife. William is first seen in the tithing list for 1782 and William would have been about 17 years of age at that time. Males were counted as they reached age 16 years for military purposes. [found in the book "Louisa County, Tithables and Census" 1743-1785 by Rosalie Edith Davis, page 178, taken by Samuel Ragland and James Overton. In 1784 Captain George Lumsden tithed for himself, William and Thomas Lumsden, and slaves York and Hannah. We do not know if the senior George was deceased by this date or not, or just away in Kentucky or elsewhere. There is a record of an Estate settlement for a George Lumsden in 1785, but he could have died a year or so earlier.

We have learned that William Lumsden was trained as a brick-mason and plasterer. Records show that he worked with Rueben Chewning helping to restore Montpelier, the home of President James and Dolly Madison in 1791 and again in 1797-1800. William married Ann [Nancy] Young Cosby, daughter of Wingfield Cosby and his second wife, Mary Ann Baker. The Douglas Register gives the date of their marriage as April 29, 1782. Ann Young Cosby's father, Wingfield Cosby was born in Louisa County, VA., on July 22, 1746, and that he was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Wingfield Cosby's will dated Dec 31, 1808, was probated Sept 12, 1814, and in it he named Ann Y. Lumsden as a daughter. [From the book, "Early Descendants of Wm Overton and Elizabeth Waters", by W.P. Anderson, page 88. By his first wife, Mary Morris, Wingfield Cosby had three children. By his second wife, Mary Ann Baker, he had twelve children. The book by Walter Garland duke, "Henry Duke, Councilor, his Descendants and Connections", gives the full linage of the Cosby family.

Ann [Nancy] Young Cosby was born in 1779, and died 1854. She and William were married in Louisa County, VA., January 28, 1802. The exact date they left Louisa County, VA. to move to Todd County, KY. is unknown, but around 1818, and land deeds in Todd County show they purchased land there on August 18, 1821. This deed, showing that William purchased a farm near Allensville, Kentucky, from Stephen Talkington and wife for the sum of three thousand dollars for three hundred acres, and other deeds show that he owned several tracts inside the town of Elkton, KY. the county seat of Todd County, KY. Todd County is just north of Clarksville, TN., and their home was on the farm there. We are indebted to Genealogist Mrs Frances Fox of Elkton, KY for mapping the cemeteries in Todd County, KY., for she had mapped the Lumsden Family cemetery where William Lumsden and two of his sons and son-in-law, Thomas Baker Pettus are buried. John F. Lumsden has a picture of William Lumsden, SR's Tombstone. With the help of Mrs Fox's nephew, we were able to locate and visit this cemetery in 1997. Those who visited this William Lumsden gravesite were Alice Lumsden Brown, Gordon Lumsdaine of England, and John F. and Jane Lumsden, of Mississippi.

The William Lumsden family cemetery is located on the old William Lumsden home-site and is covered with trees and vines. However, the small trees matted over the small cemetery, preserving the tombstone, so that they sre easily read. A few stones of the foundation are all that is left of the home, but the grave-site is on a hill, a few yards away from the home-site. You can easily read Williams date of birth, and death date, as well as the two son's of William, John O. and Benjamin T.'s dates of birth and death and the son-in-law, Thomas Baker Pettus, has an above ground crypt. The top of the crypt is broken, but still very easy to read. We did not find a stone for Ann, but her death is recorded elsewhere, and she left a will that is recorded in Todd County. In fact there are many property transactions for William and Ann in the Todd County Courthouse.

The book, "Indexes to some Todd County cemeteries", compiled by Frances Thomason Fox [certified Genealogical record searcher, 1989] Cemetery # 121 LUMSDEN, located 4 miles southeast on Traughber Road on the Clyde Wright farm, ["School-house Road"],copied by George Lynn Fox and Frances T. Fox, 1987, "There may be several burials at this site--the cemetery is badly overgrown with trees and is deep in Myrtle" LUMSDEN, Benjamin J. May 12, 1819---March 11, 1833. LUMSDEN, John O., October 24, 1811---October 17, 1823. LUMSDEN, William, SR.,Nov 7, 1765--October 11, 1823. These are listed, but we found several graves that we could not find stones for, or were unable to read. William died October 11, 1823. His will was probated December 8, 1825, a copy is enclosed in the book, "The George Lumsden Family", by Alice Lumsden Brown, 2000. In this will, William had made provisions for Ann, his wife, and for his childrens schooling, and for the care of his family, but did not name the children. We found a copy of his estate settlement, and it would seem he died of a wound, as there is a record of a Doctor visiting on a regular basis, and a record of the medicine that was used for him. Note that there are only a few days between William's death and that of his son, John O. Lumsden.

William and Ann Lumsden were parents of seven children

1. James William Lumsden,B. 1804, Louisa County, VA
2. William George Lumsden,B. Sept 23, 1806. Louisa County, VA.
3. Frances Lumsden,B.1810, Louisa County, VA.
4. John O. Lumsden,B.Oct 21, 1811, Louisa County, VA.
5. Martha M. Lumsden, B.1813, Louisa County, VA
6. Elizabeth J. Lumsden,B. Jan 3, 1817, probably VA.
7. Benjamin T. Lumsden, B.May 12, 1819, died in Todd County, KY

It is stated on William Lumsden's tombstone that he is William Lumsden, SR. He named one son James William Lumsden and one son, William George Lumsden. We have been told that many people from Louisa County, VA. left there to go to Todd County, KY. We see that one of Williams brother-in-law, a Mr Cosby is buried in Barron County, KY., just a short distance from where William and Ann owned the farm. We think William and his family crossed thru the Cumberland Gap into KY.

William was trained as a brick-mason and plasterer. Records show that he worked with Rueben Chewning helping to restore Montpelier, the home of President James and Dolly Madison in 1791 and again in 1797-1800. In Montpelier Fact Sheet #6, found on-site at Montpelier, William Lumsden is documented as having done the plastering on the columns of Montpelier in the 1791 renovation. We assume this is how he was able to purchase the 300 acre farm he purchased in Todd County, KY. ^[1]

Louisa County, VA., Deed Records- Book N.

Book:N, page 299, Grantor: William Lumsden, Grantee:Henry Lawrence, date 06-Aug-1817

William Lumsden of Louisa and Ann Y. his wife to Henry Lawrence all of Louisa, $1,300 for 2 tracts on Draggon Swamp, ist containing 100 acres adjoining Ralph Quarles, John Chiles, James Turner, 2nd. joining 1st cont. 50 acres adj Ralph Quarles, being tracts conveyed William Lumsden by Linia Gooch and wife by deed 8 Oct 1804. Ann Y.'s relinquishment. Rec 11 Aug 1817.

Sources

1. ↑ First-hand information as remembered by John F. Lumsden, Saturday, January 4, 2014. Replace this citation if there is another source.